Colloquy (pedagogical dialogue)

A colloquy (Latin ) is a set of scripted dialogues intended for practice in learning Latin or Ancient Greek. Colloquies were a form of "language textbook" (so to speak) but long before the invention of modern language textbooks as we understand them.

Classical colloquies were intended to instruct learners to speak or converse in ancient classical languages. Nowadays, attempting to converse in ancient languages is somewhat rare and sometimes even discouraged. However, this activity was not rare in previous centuries. Scholars were encouraged to use these languages as spoken languages.

In some cases, colloquies included general moralistic guidance on personal deportment or modes of proper conduct in everyday scenarios.

describe familiar situations and interactions of everyday life. This means that they often serve as a source of information about clothes, food, routines, education, and material culture of people in various centuries.

Notable works: Colloquies in Latin or Ancient Greek

• 3rd C. CE. Hermeneumata Pseudodositheana: Instructional manual for teaching the Greek language to Latin-speaking people in the Roman Empire, and vice versa: to teach Latin to Greek-speakers. Written by a native speaker of Latin. See:
• 10th C. CE. Ælfric’s Colloquy: bilingual Latin-Old English dialogues. See:
• 15th C. CE. Manuale Scholarium: Latin dialogues between medieval university students, partly insulting and rowdy. See:
• 1518. Colloquies: Latin colloquy by Desiderius Erasmus (ordinarily cited with the simple title "Colloquies") See:

See also

• Classics
• Neo-Latin
• Renaissance Latin
• Erasmus of Rotterdam

Notes and references

External links

• Colloquia Part I: Before the 16th century Contains a short, selected list of notable classical colloquies
• Colloquia Long list of links to classical colloquia at The Latinum Institute of Ancient and Modern Languages